Childhood should be the purest and most carefree period of a person’s life. Yet, when we look at the daily reality of today’s schoolchildren, a very different picture emerges: notebooks, textbooks, countless assignments—and exhaustion.

Most parents say the same thing: “As soon as my child comes home from school, they eat and immediately sit down to study. Until late in the evening, they do nothing but homework.” It seems that children’s childhood is being lost between the pages of their exercise books.

Yet the purpose of education is not simply to overload children with assignments. The goal is to raise young people who can think, create, and apply what they learn to real life. But if a child has no time to lift their head from a book, how can they pursue music, sports, painting, or any other hobby?

Across the world, education systems encourage students to engage in diverse activities. Creative thinking does not develop solely through math exercises and essay writing. It also flourishes on the football field, at the piano, or in a book club. In our system, however, the mindset too often seems to be that “more homework equals better education.”

In reality, a balance can be struck. Homework is necessary—but in moderation, without consuming the entire day. Children need time to rest, to spend with their families, and to discover their own interests. Otherwise, we may one day find a new generation overloaded with knowledge but drained of joy and creativity.

Let us not forget that learning does not happen only at the school desk; it takes place in life itself. We must allow our children both to learn and to live.

Leyla Mirza, Bizimyol.info